Collapsible lamp shades



J1me 1957 1-1.1. HERZFELDER 2,796,517

COLLAPSIBLE LAMP SHADES Filed May 27, 1953 Y FM du ATTORNEYS Unite States Patent COLLAPSELE LAMP SHADES Harold Lionel Herzfeider, New York, N. Y.

Application Niay 27, 1953, Serial No. 357,774

4 Ciaims. (Cl. 240-108) This invention relates generally to improvements in lamp shades and, more particularly, to improvements in collapsible lamp shades which are adapted to be detachably mounted to a lighting fixture.

One object of the present invention is the provision of an improved lamp shade which is adapted to be collapsed so as to save space in shipping and storage and to effect a very substantial saving in the cost of the necessary packing cartons.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved lamp shade of the above character having bracket means associated therewith for detachably mounting said lamp shade to a conventional lighting fixture.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved lamp shade of the above character which readily lends itself to efiicient low cost mass production, and which is eminently suitable for its intended purpose.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawing which illustrates the best modes now contemplated by me for carrying out my invention:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a collapsible lamp shade formed according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, on the line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view, on the line 6--6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a slightly modified form of the present invention; and

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of a lamp shade in the form of a Japanese lantern, formed according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Figs. 1 through 6 thereof, there is shown a collapsible lamp shade 10 which is adapted to be collapsed from the extended position shown in solid lines in Fig. 3 to the collapsed position shown in broken lines in said figure. The lamp shade 16 comprises a collapsible body part 12 having frame members 14 and 16 secured at the opposite ends thereof. The collapsible body part 12 may be formed of any suitable flexible material such as paper, silk, plastic, parchment, and the like, and in the embodiment shown in the Figs. 1 through 6 said body part is of circular cross section and of frusto conical configuration, although it will be readily apparent that said body part may be of any desired cross section and configuration. The body part 12 may be formed in any desired manner and in the illustrated embodiment said body part is formed of a plurality of segments 18 which have their marginal edges 20 overlapped in the manner shown in Fig. 5 and on an enlarged scale, taken on an enlarged scale, taken on an enlarged scale, taken ice secured together in any desired manner, as by means of a suitable adhesive. Thus the body segments 18 are secured together at their marginal edges 2% and said secured together segments define the body part 12. As is readily apparent from Figure 3, the surface of body part 12 comprises spaced circular grooves 23 which are concentric about the longitudinal axis of said body part. The body part 12 has a multiplicity of laterally spaced annular elements 22 secured interiorly thereof in any desired manner and said body part has a peripherally extending generally corrugated surface to facilitate the collapse of said body part. In the illustrated embodiment, the annular elements 22, concentric about the longitudinal axis of the body part, are laterally spaced uniformly and are disposed within the circular grooves 23 along which they are secured to the interior of body part 12 by means of a suitable adhesive. The annular elements 22 are shown as being formed of metallic wire, although it will be readily apparent that other materials may be utilized for this purpose. It will be readily apparent that the body part 12, which is formed ofa flexible material, is readily collapsible from the solid line position shown in Fig. 3'

to the broken line position shown in said figure.

The frame members 14 and 16, which are secured to the opposite ends of the collapsible body part 12, are of annular configuration and are structurally similar. The frame members 14 and 16 may be formed of any desired material such as wood, plastic, metal, and the like, and may be plain as shown in the illustrated embodiments or may be suitably ornamented in any desired manner. The frame member 14, at the upper end of the body part 12, comprises an annular outer element 24 which is provided with a peripherally extending recess 26, the latter being adapted for the reception of the annular element 28 which is dimensioned complementary to said peripherally extending recess. The upper peripherally extending portion 31) of the body part 12 is secured between the elements 24 and 28 as by means or" a suitable adhesive, or by clamping said portion between said elements, or by a combination thereof. It will be understood that the body part 12 may be secured to the frame members 14 and 16 in any desired manner and the particular mode of securement aforedescribed is given by way of example only. Thus the upper peripherally extending portion 30 of the body part 12 is receivable between the companion elements 24and 28 for effecting the securement between the body part 12 and frame member 14. The peripherally extending lower portion 32 of the body part 12 is secured between the annular elements 34 and 36 of frame member 16, it being understood that the securement of portion 32 to frame member 16 is effected in a similar manner as the securement of the portion 30 of the body part to the upper frame member 14. It will be understood that the companion elements 24, 28, and 34, 36 are retained in assembled relation in any desired manner as by the use of suitable fastener elements or by adhesive securement means.

Extending along the overlapped marginal edge portions 20 of segments 18, interiorly of the body part 12, are threads 38 which are preferably adhesively secured to the interior of said body part in superposed relation with the overlapped marginal edge portions 20, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Thus the number of thread lengths 38 secured to the body part 12, will correspond to the number of body segments 18 which define the body part12. The upper ends 38' of the thread lengths 38 are secured to the upper frame member 14, it being noted that said upper ends of the thread lengths 38 are looped around the inner annular element 28 of the upper frame member as indicated at 40. Thus the upper end 38 of the thread lengths 38 are in the form of loops which encircle the inner elements 28 of the upper frame member 14. The

lower ends of the thread length 38 are similarly looped as the upper ends thereof and are integrated with the lower frame member 16 in a similar manner as the upper ends of the thread lengths are integrated with the upperframe member 14. Thus both ends of each of the thread lengths 38 are in the form of loops, said loops being adapted for the pas-sage therethrough of the inner annular elements 28 and 36 of the frame members 14 and 16, respectively, in the manner aforedescribed. It will be understood that the thread lengths 38 integrated with the lamp shade in the aforedescribed manner will be effective to reinforce the securement between the frame members and the body part of said lamp shade.

The upper frame member 14 has a mounting bracket 42 secured thereto, said bracket comprising an annular element 44 which is apertured therethrough as indicated at 46 for the reception of a complementary attaching element of a lighting fixture. The element 44 is mounted substantially centrally of the frame member 14 by means of the radially extending arms 48. The inner ends 50 of the arms 48 are suitably secured to the element 44 and the outer ends 52 of said arms are receivable in complementary sockets 54 defined in the annular element 28 of the frame member 14. It will be readily apparent that for mounting the lamp shade 10 to a conventional lighting fixture the aperture 46 will be interengaged with complementary mounting provisions carried by the lighting fixture. The lamp shade 10, when assembled to a lamp or lighting fixture, may be drawn to its fully extended position as shown in Fig. 2 or may be raised on one side so as to adjust the light in any desired manner emanating from the lamp or lighting fixture. Thus the lamp shade 10 may be positioned relative to a lighting fixture or lamp in its fully extended position or may be tilted to an unbalanced position in order to adjust the light to suit the user thereof. It will be readily apparent from the above that the collapse of the body part 12 of the shade 10 will be effective to nest the frame members 14 and 16 one Within the other, since said frame members are of unlike diameter.

With reference to Fig. 7, there is shown a lamp shade embodiment which is structurally identical to lamp shade 10 except that annular elements 22' of bamboo, or the like, have been substituted for the metallic wire elements 22 aforedescribed. Thus the annular elements of the body part 12 may be formed of metallic wire 22 or may be formed of bamboo 22', or the like,.as shown in the embodiment in Fig. 7.

With reference to Fig. 8, there is shown a lamp shade 10' in the form of a Japanese lantern,.said lamp shade being structurally similar to the lamp shade 1i) aforedescribed. The Japanese lanterntype of lamp shade 10' comprises a collapsible body part 12' which is of circular cross section and of generally arcuate configuration, said body part being otherwise structurally similar to the body part 12 oflamp shade 10. The framemembers 14' and 16 at the opposite ends .of the body part 12 are structurally similar to the frame members 14 and 16 aforedes'cribed except that frame members 14' and 16' are shown as being of the same diameter. Thus the lamp shade 19' is structurally similar to the lamp shade 10 aforedescribed in detail except that lamp shade 10' is in r the form of a Japanese lantern having frame members 14' and 16 which are of the same size. It will be readily apparent that the movementof the frame members 14' a and 16' towards each other will be effective to collapse readily lend themselves to efiicient low cost mass-production whereby such lamp shades may be marketed at a comparatively low price.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the present invention without departing from the underlying idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A collapsible lamp shade comprising a collapsible body part formed of flexible material and having a peripherally extending generally corrugated surface, said surface comprising spaced circular grooves concentric about the longitudinal axis of said body part, a series of peripherally extending longitudinally spaced elements concentric about said axis, said elements engaging said spaced grooves and being secured therein respectively, said body part having peripherally extending frame members at opposite ends thereof, the movement of said frame members towards each other being effective to collapse said body part.

2. A collapsible lamp shade comprising a unitary .collapsible body part formed of flexible material and having a peripherally extending generally corrugated surface, said surface comprising inwardly facingspaced circular grooves concentric about the longitudinal axis of said the body part 12'. Thus the lamp shade 10 may be of any desired cross section and configuration and it will be understood that the embodiments herein illustrated and described are given by way of example, and not by way of limitation.

For shipment of lamp shades 10, the latter will be fully collapsed so as to save space in shipping and to effect a very substantial savingsin the cost of the cartons for said lamp shades. The lamp shades 10 aforedescribed body part, a series of peripherally extending elements complementary to said body part and disposed interiorly thereof, said elements being longitudinally spaced and concentric about said longitudinal axis, said elements being disposed within said grooves along which they are secured to said body part, and a pair of substantially rigid frame members secured to opposite ends of said body part, the movement of said frame memberstowards each other being effective to collapse said body part.

3. A'collapsible lamp shade comprising a unitary collapsible body part formed of flexible material and having a peripherally extending generally corrugated surface, said surface comprising inwardly facing spaced circular grooves concentric about the longitudinal axis of said body part, a series of peripherally extending elements complementary to said body part and disposed interiorl-y thereof, said elements being longitudinally spaced and concentric about said longitudinal axis, said elements being disposed within said grooves along which they are secured to said body part, and a pair of substantially rigid frame members secured to opposite ends of said body part, said frame members each being constituted by a pair of nested ele; ments, the adjacent end of said body part being secured between said nested elements, the movement of said frame members towards each other being effective to collapse said body part.

4. A collapsible lamp shade comprising a unitary collapsible body part formed of flexible material and having a peripherally extending generally corrugated surface,. said surface comprising inwardly facing spaced circular grooves concentric about the longitudinal axis of said body part, a series of peripherally extending elements complementary to said body part and disposed interiorly thereof, said elements being longitudinally spaced and concentric about said longitudinal axis, said elements being disposed within said grooves along which they are secured to said body part, a pair of substantially rigid body part being secured'bctween said nested elements,

and elongated flexible members extending along the inner surface of said body part, said elongated members being looped about .an element of each frame member. and secured to said inner surface of the body part;

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Plympton July 11, 1882 Ray Sept. 13, 1887 Fleigl July 10, 1894 Clark Aug. 29, 1916 6 Sher Nov. 17, 1942 Scherer Feb. 12, 1952 Zenda Jan. 13, 1953 Buschi Mar. 23, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Dec. 8, 1886 

